Description

For persons covered by a single service plan (SINGLEE), SSHOSPIC indicates whether the person currently had a single service plan for hospice care. The Field Representative's Manuals for 1999 forward did not define hospice care, but it is given to improve the quality of life for people facing terminal (incurable) illness. Respondents were asked what type of single service plan the person had and handed a list with different types of single service insurance coverage. Interviewers instructed them to mark all that applied.

For 2004 forward, the survey included an additional probe question for all persons who indicated they were not covered by health insurance or did not indicate single service plan coverage. A person who responded to either HISINGLE or SSPROB, single service plan probe response, were asked about the type of service.

For variables indicating other types of single service variables, please see the SINGLEE variable description.

Comparability

SSHOSPIC is mostly comparable, however the percent of respondents indicating single service coverage may increase for 2004 as a result of a probe question on whether the person had any single service plan.

However, SSHOPSIC is not directly comparable with the variables for before 1997, such as the values (e.g."07") in HI1SSTYP for 1993 to 1996. Beginning in 1997, the NCHS edited responses to what kind of insurance coverage respondents had based on plan name. Prior to 1997, individuals may have mistakenly reported having a single service plan but such errors were not edited for accuracy. In surveys before 1997, it is possible that not all individuals who indicated having a single service plan actually had such plans. This reduces comparability over time.

Universe

Availability

• 1999-2018

Weights

• 1999-2018 : PERWEIGHT